Jim Owczarski

Giannis Antetokounmpo returns, Celtics blow out Bucks 108-81 The Milwaukee Bucks were blown out 108-81 by the undermanned Boston Celtics on March 2 at Fiserv Forum despite Giannis Antetokounmpo's return.

Giannis Antetokounmpo returns, but the #Celtics blow out the #Bucks 108-81

🧱 Bucks offense again falls flat
🏃‍♂️💨 Celtics play fast
📈 Ousmane Dieng
📉 Kyle Kuzma

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www.jsonline.com/story/sports...

Doc Rivers: Coach’s decision to bench Kyle Kuzma.

Sounds like Ousmane Dieng will be playing a lot more here on out.

#Bucks lose

Giannis Antetokounmpo checks out after 26 minutes. 19 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists. #NBASky

Another uncompetitive game for the #Bucks against a playoff team in the East. Rough week for them.

Celtics lead Bucks 83-65 after three quarters.

Pete Nance hits a 3 and the #Bucks trail by 14.

Bucks down 20.

Pete Nance checks in with 4:46 to go in the third.

Perhaps the question is if the Sam Hauser cheers drown out the eventual boos that coming.

Bucks got to within 9, but the Celtics squashed that and lead by 17 again pretty quickly. Feels like a wrap at Fiserv Forum.

Celtics go into the half leading 57-43.

The Bucks should* shoot it better(?) than the 29% from behind the 3-point line as this game goes on...they can't / aren't really defending so unless the Celtics miss more, it doesn't feel real great for the home team.

Down 22.

Down 19.

Down 18.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is checking in. He will play his first minutes with Cam Thomas. They're spending the time out seeing how Antetokounmpo should set a screen for the guard.

Down 17.

Doc Rivers calls timeout with a #Celtics free throw incoming.

Boston has opened the second quarter on a 7-0 run and it's part of a bigger 11-0 run that began at the end of the first quarter.

Seems like this will get away from the #Bucks early here. The try hard #Celtics up 15.

And, the #Bucks open the second quarter with two turnovers.

Sam Hauser ends the first quarter appropriately for Boston: missed 3, followed his shot, got the offensive rebound made the putback. #Celtics lead 30-20 and the #Bucks look like they have all season in non-Antetokounmpo minutes aka bad.

And Gary Harris makes his return to the court. Kyle Kuzma is out of the rotation (for now).

That made it a 24-9 run since the #Bucks opened the game 7-0.

And Porter picks up his second foul of the first quarter on another Boston offensive rebound.

Celtics hit a 3 on the extra possession.

Ope my bad Ousmane Dieng is a starter* tonight. So it's not an all-bench unit as Kevin Porter checked in for Dieng at the timeout.

Doc Rivers said the "tap dance" with the rotations now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is back after 15 missed games is finding the right lineup in the non-Giannis minutes to be successful.

Thus far, he's staggered all of his starters until the 4:07 mark, when the all-bench unit went to 2:40.

21-8

Bucks have been outscored 19-8 after the opening two minutes.

Ousmane Dieng has 8 points on 3 of 4 shooting to start this one for the #Bucks. They trail undermanned/undersized #Celtics 16-15.

Jericho Sims subs in for Giannis Antetokounmpo at the 6:13 mark of the first quarter. Antetokounmpo's first minutes since Jan. 23 included five points and four rebounds. #NBASky

Celtics went on a 10-0 run, and Giannis Antetokounmpo gets to the free throw line. He rolls one in to stop the bleed.